Time in class passed as usual.
The teacher imparted knowledge from the podium, and the sunlight outside the window slowly shifted.
Kitano sat in his seat, sometimes taking notes, other times lost in thought.
There were no sudden appearances of Uma Musume, no scrutinizing gazes from student council members; everything had returned to the normal track he desired.
“This is how it should be!” He felt a genuine sense of satisfaction deep down.
During the break, he even, for once, actively took out his phone to search for the local major race Oguri Cap was about to participate in—the Golden Youth Cup.
He quickly browsed the track information and past data, and with his special dynamic vision and analytical ability, he simulated the track’s undulations and corner characteristics in his mind.
“Hmm…
the gradient here is a bit of a challenge for Cap’s late-charging running style, but with her stamina, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
He evaluated like a calm analyst.
“As for the spectator stands…
this corner position seems good.
It’s off the main stand, the view might be a bit skewed, but I should be able to see the final bend and the sprint straight.
The key is…
it’s less crowded and quiet, less likely to be surrounded by rabid fans.”
He also casually clicked on a few racing forums and glanced at discussions about the race.
As expected, most people were optimistic about Oguri Cap, who had strong momentum recently and displayed astonishing finishing speed.
“It seems the public’s eyes are still sharp; Cap’s chances of winning are indeed greater.”
Seeing this common sentiment, he felt a strange sense of relief and then closed the webpage.
“Alright, intel collected.
When the time comes, I’ll just take Aunt Narubi to that corner and hide.”
Finally, the most anticipated time of the day arrived: lunch break.
Because he was in a rather good mood, Kitano specifically opened that astonishingly large, multi-layered bento box today—the result of his enthusiastic preparation this morning.
The moment the lid was lifted, the surrounding classmates were drawn over.
The top layer was perfectly pan-fried teriyaki chicken, with an inviting glossy sheen.
The second layer was golden and crispy tonkatsu, accompanied by shredded cabbage. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
The third layer contained tamagoyaki and several refreshing pickled side dishes.
The bottom layer was packed with white rice, sprinkled with some furikake.
“Wow!
Kitano-kun, what’s the special occasion today?
So extravagant!”
“Your bento skills are almost on par with a restaurant’s!”
Kitano smiled and generously pushed the bento toward the center.
“Nothing, I’m just in a good mood and made a bit extra.
Everyone, have some.”
His friends cheered and eagerly dug in.
During this, someone naturally remembered previous events and, winking, asked, “By the way, Kitano-kun, what about those three athlete girls who were looking for you before?
Did they not come back to deepen their discussions with you later?”
Kitano’s expression didn’t change.
He picked up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks and said in a tone mixed with relief and perfunctoriness, “Oh, them.
They probably finally realized I’m a lost cause and gave up.
After all,”
He paused, borrowing and slightly modifying a classic movie line from his previous life.
“I’m not the chosen one.
I’m a man who wants to live a quiet life.”
His friends were amused by his feigned profundity, which was also strangely fitting in their eyes, and they followed his lead, joking:
“I think you didn’t hold your aggro steady enough and pulled too much threat!”
“Exactly!
Maybe they lost interest because your DPS was too low!”
Amidst the joyous memes and teasing, the topic of Uma Musume was thus lightly dismissed.
However, he was completely unaware that in the distant corridor corner outside the classroom window, Marvelous Sunday, Seeking the Pearl, and Narita Brian were quietly observing the lively scene in the classroom under the guise of passing by. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
They saw Kitano sharing food with friends and chatting cheerfully, and they saw the truly relaxed expression on his face, completely different from when he faced them.
“He…
he smiles like that too,” Seeking the Pearl said softly, her tone somewhat complex, no longer just simple anger.
“It seems he gets along very well with his friends,” Narita Brian nodded.
“Completely different from how he was when we saw him before.”
Marvelous Sunday lightly tapped her chin with her fingertip, a small star sparkling in her eyes.
“He’s not aloof at all ☆!
He just sees ordinary daily life as his most cherished racecourse, and doesn’t want the cheers of the spotlight to disrupt his rhythm, right?”
They exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of understanding and…
new ideas in the other’s eyes.
Forcibly lecturing and questioning was clearly no longer working; it would only push him further away.
However, completely giving up on contact felt somewhat unwilling.
The contradictory traits in this boy were like a puzzle, attracting them to solve it.
Perhaps…
they should try a different approach?
No longer treating him as an object to be corrected, but trying to interact with him as equals, as ordinary people?
For example…
first becoming friends with whom they could talk?
This idea quietly sprouted in the hearts of the three girls.
They no longer insisted on immediately changing Kitano’s perspective, but began to consider how they could truly approach him and understand his world, which was so different from theirs.
In the classroom, Kitano continued to enjoy lunch and chat with his friends, completely unaware that he had once again become someone else’s observation target.
It really helps the fic grow!